Why do we have Easter eggs and the Easter bunny? (2024)

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Why do we have Easter eggs and the Easter bunny? ›

In Germany in the 1700s children would build nests, and leave carrots out for the "Osterhase" or "Oschter Haws" - the Easter bunny. Legend has it that the Easter Bunny lays, decorates and hides eggs for good children, as they are also a symbol of new life.

The answer may lie in combining iconography. Eggs, just like the rabbit, have long been considered an ancient symbol of fertility, rebirth and new life, all associated with the springtime celebration of Easter! From a Christian perspective, Easter eggs represent Jesus' resurrection and his emergence from the tomb.

Early Christians in Mesopotamia dyed eggs in the period after Easter. The practice was adopted by the Orthodox Churches, and from there it spread into Western Europe. Eggs represent new life and rebirth, and it's thought that this ancient custom was absorbed into Easter celebrations.

The tradition of hiding eggs at Easter is believed to have originated from pagan spring festivals that celebrated new life, the spring equinox, and new beginnings. During these festivals, eggs were decorated and given as gifts to symbolise the rebirth of nature after winter.

According to History.com, Easter eggs represent Jesus' resurrection. However, this association came much later when Roman Catholicism became the dominant religion in Germany in the 15th century and merged with already ingrained pagan beliefs. The first Easter bunny legends were documented in the 1500s.

The Origin of Easter

Easter actually originated as an ancient pagan celebration of the spring equinox. In Christianity, the day was dedicated to observing the resurrection of Jesus Christ, celebrated around the time of the Jewish Passover.

Jesus came to earth to save humanity by dying on the cross on Good Friday and resurrecting on Easter Sunday. By enduring and defeating death sacrificially for people, He swung open the gates of heaven making a way for sins to be forgiven and usher Christians into the presence of God (Romans 5:8)."

According to some sources, the Easter bunny first arrived in America in the 1700s with German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania and transported their tradition of an egg-laying hare called “Osterhase” or “Oschter Haws.” Their children made nests in which this creature could lay its colored eggs.

Easter is a Christian holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Easter takes place three days after Jesus's death on Good Friday. This holiday concludes the “Passion of Christ” series of holidays that began with Ash Wednesday.

Easter is an important Christian festival – it's when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Bible says that Christ died on a cross on a day called Good Friday. Was buried for three days. According to the Bible, Jesus was then resurrected and came back to life on Easter Sunday.

What do Easter baskets have to do with Jesus? ›

The Religious Significance Behind Easter Baskets

The basket itself symbolizes the tomb from which Jesus emerged victorious over death, just as the egg symbolizes new life and resurrection. Thus, the act of giving and receiving Easter baskets becomes a tangible expression of faith.

Sometime in the 1600s, the Germans converted the pagan rabbit image into Oschter Haws, a rabbit that was believed to lay a nest of colored eggs as gifts for good children. Since males don't lay eggs, one would surmise the 'Easter Bunny' must then be female.

Easter eggs represent the empty tomb from which Jesus resurrected. In early Orthodox churches, Easter eggs were blessed by the priests and distributed to the congregants at the end of Paschal vigil, which is the Saturday before Easter known as Holy Saturday.

As previously mentioned, the Bible contains no reference to the Easter Bunny. He technically has nothing to do with Christ's resurrection. Instead, notes NBC News, the rabbit's roots can be traced back to ancient paganism, and the deity Eostra.

Yet many people miss that the word Easter is found in one very common translation of the English Bible. The venerable Authorized or King James Version (KJV) uses the word Easter in one verse in Acts 12.4. Early editions of the King James Version also included a table for finding the date of Easter.

Eggs represent new life and rebirth, and it's thought that this ancient custom became a part of Easter celebrations. In the medieval period, eating eggs was forbidden during Lent (the 40 days before Easter) so on Easter Sunday, tucking into an egg was a real treat!

Originating among German Lutherans, the "Easter Hare" originally played the role of a judge, evaluating whether children were good or disobedient in behavior at the start of the season of Eastertide, similar to the "naughty or nice" list made by Santa Claus.

According to the writings of the Venerable Bede (673-735 AD), an Anglo-Saxon deity named Ēostre was accompanied by a rabbit because she represented the rejuvenation and fertility of springtime.

It actually has nothing to do with the biblical Easter (obviously). It dates back to 13th Century Germany where they worshiped gods and goddesses including the goddess Eostra, who was the goddess of fertility. Since rabbits are very fertile and eggs represent fertility, that's how the bunnies and eggs came into play.